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Four Chariots

6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze.2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black,3 the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful.4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[a] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[b] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

8 Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[c] rest in the land of the north.”

A Crown for Joshua

9 The word of the Lord came to me:10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak.[d]12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[e] will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[f] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[g] son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God.”

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord3 by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me:5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?7 Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’”

8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah:9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.

13 “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty.14 ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your deeds,Lord God Almighty.Just and true are your ways,King of the nations.[a]4 Who will not fear you, Lord,and bring glory to your name?For you alone are holy.All nations will comeand worship before you,for your righteous acts have been revealed.”[b]

5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened.6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests.7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, hear my prayer,listen to my cry for mercy;in your faithfulness and righteousnesscome to my relief.2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,for no one living is righteous before you.3 The enemy pursues me,he crushes me to the ground;he makes me dwell in the darknesslike those long dead.4 So my spirit grows faint within me;my heart within me is dismayed.5 I remember the days of long ago;I meditate on all your worksand consider what your hands have done.6 I spread out my hands to you;I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

7 Answer me quickly,Lord;my spirit fails.Do not hide your face from meor I will be like those who go down to the pit.8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,for I have put my trust in you.Show me the way I should go,for to you I entrust my life.9 Rescue me from my enemies,Lord,for I hide myself in you.10 Teach me to do your will,for you are my God;may your good Spiritlead me on level ground.

24 “Four things on earth are small,yet they are extremely wise:25 Ants are creatures of little strength,yet they store up their food in the summer;26 hyraxes are creatures of little power,yet they make their home in the crags;27 locusts have no king,yet they advance together in ranks;28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

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